THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM 337 



III. ABDOMINAL SYMPATHETIC SYNDROME. 



SOLAR SYNDROME. 

 I. PSYSIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTATION. 



The physiology of the solar plexus has been studied by 

 Courtade and Guyon, Hallion, Laignel-Lavastine. This 

 plexus controls: 1. The vaso-motor phenomena of the 

 viscera; stomach, intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas and 

 suprarenals; 2. The motor phenomena of the gastro 

 intestinal tract ; 3 . The secretions of the digestive glands . 



The work of Laignel-Lavastine has shown that: 



1 . STIMULATION OF THE SOLAR PLEXUS causes a violent 

 epigastric pain, an intestinal paresis, (constipation), an 

 increase of the arterial tension by an intense abdominal 

 vaso-constriction. 



2. REMOVAL OF THE SOLAR PLEXUS will cause symp- 

 toms of paralysis of variable intensity: 



(a) A hyperacute syndrome, characterized by a marked 

 drop in the blood pressure: a very small and very rapid 

 pulse, coolness of the extremities, vomiting, a bloody 

 diarrhea, anurea. The animal dies rapidly in collapse. 



(6) An acute syndrome, characterized by similar symp- 

 toms, but not as severe: rapid pulse, bloody diarrhea and 

 death in from 4 to 5 days. At autopsy, there is a marked 

 hyperemia of the visceral organs, liver, spleen, lung, 

 stomach, intestines, suprarenals (particularly the medul- 

 lary portion), while the kidneys are normal. We know 

 that the fibres of each of the splanchnic nerves which go to 

 the kidney do not go through the corresponding semi 

 lunar ganglion (Laignel-Lavastine). 



(c) A Subacute Syndrome. Some animals survive the 

 operation after showing severe symptoms. These consist 

 in diarrhea, rapid and weak pulse, oliguria and dysuria. 



